“Oh really?”
“If you want, I can walk you over to Mama Beth’s on the way,” I suggested as I grabbed my keys.
“Do women ever go to these things?”
I turned around to stare at her in surprise. In the entire month since she had been with me, she had never once set foot inside the roadhouse. One by one, the Raiders had come down to meet her. She seemed to do well with a few of us at a time. “Um, yeah, they do.”
“Then can I come? I mean, I hate to invite myself, but I’d like to get out for a while. And I’ve never seen the roadhouse.”
I fiddled with the keys in my hand. “Are you sure you’re up to it?” While I knew my brothers would be on their best behavior around Annabel, I was more concerned about how she would react to them. Strange men in cuts could inevitably lead to a flashback of her time with the Diablos.
She rose off the couch with a determined expression. “I think I’d like to try.”
“Then I’d like to have you join me.”
Glancing down at her clothes, she asked, “Am I dressed okay?”
I laughed. “Compared to what some of the women will be wearing, you’re overdressed.”
“Should I go change into something more revealing?” she teased.
“No,” I replied a little too quickly. Annabel ducked her head, but I thought I saw the hint of a smile on her lips. “Come on. We’d better be going.”
When we got to the back door of the roadhouse, I stopped her. “What is it?” she asked.
“If at any time you don’t feel comfortable, you just let me know. Even if I’m taking part in the patching, you can come and get me. Okay?”
“Thank you, Rev,” she replied. She then proceeded to shock the hell out of me by reaching up and tenderly kissing my cheek. “You’re so good to me.”
Feeling like I had been knocked on my ass, I threw open the back door and ushered her inside. Live music blared from the house band that played on special occasions. The steady roar of conversation came from all around us. At the far end of the roadhouse, the women had set up a long table filled with home-cooked food. Kim and Alexandra, along with some of the other wives, were helping the men through the line.
“Hungry?” I asked Annabel.
“Not right now. But don’t let me stop you.”
I glanced from the table back to her. “Kim’s chili is fucking amazing.”
Annabel smiled. “Then let’s get you some before it’s all gone.”
Placing my hand on the small of her back, I started to guide her through the crowd. At Annabel’s sudden intake of breath, I quickly demanded, “What’s wrong?”
She motioned to Willow, across the room. “I was just surprised to see her here.”
“Since it’s a patching ceremony, wives, girlfriends, and families are invited. The first part of the night is pretty calm with the celebrating.” I grinned at her. “It’ll be around midnight, after the kids are put to bed, when things get really crazy.”
When she caught sight of us, Willow made a beeline to our sides. After giving us both hugs, she asked, “How’s Poe?”
“I just gave him his bottle right before we left.”
“Did you remember to poop and pee him?”
“Yes, Miss Priss, I did. I think I know how to care for Poe.”
“Just checking.”
Annabel grinned. “We were going to get Uncle Rev some chili. Do you want some?”
“Sure.” She slipped her hand into Annabel’s, and they started walking together slightly ahead of me. I figured Annabel was just as safe with Willow as she was with me. After all, the guys knew if one hair on Willow’s head was harmed, Deacon would have their asses.
We got in line behind Archer, who was talking to Alexandra. The two shared a bond over joining forces to save Deacon’s life. After he leaned over to give her a hug, he caught my eye. “Prez! Good to see you, man.” He threw out his hand, and I happily shook his.
Turning to Annabel, I said, “You remember Archer? He came by the house a few times.”
She smiled and offered her hand, which surprised me. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“He just got patched a few months ago,” I told her.
Archer chuckled. “Yeah, I was saying to Alexandra it feels like I was just at my patch ceremony.”
“Hard to believe it’s been four months, huh?”
He nodded. Archer had just taken a long pull of beer when Willow said to Annabel, “Archer is my favorite. I’m going to marry him someday.”
Archer’s beer spewed out of his mouth all over the plastic plates and forks. After he wiped his mouth, he shook his head. “Jesus, kid. You want your old man to kill me?”
Willow’s dark brows scrunched together in confusion. “Why would my daddy kill you for marrying me?”
I chuckled. “Because daddies are very particular about who their little girls marry.”
Willow waved her hand dismissively. “But Daddy likes Archer. After all, he helped save Mommy’s life.”
Archer sat his beer down on the table. Alexandra was managing to stay out of the conversation by cleaning up Archer’s beer mess. Archer crouched down to where he could be on eye level with Willow. “I like you a lot, kid. You know that, right?” She nodded. “But I can never be your boyfriend.”
“Why not?”
“For starters, there ain’t no way in hell your daddy is ever going to let you date one of his brothers. But the most important reason is I’m too old for you.”